My question is are we making a distinction between bad quality animation and actual errors? Because Vangaurd isn't.

I answered it with 'yes'. I'm not quite certain how I can make it more simple than that.

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There weren't any (that I can think of) actual errors in the Batman cartoon there was just a few episodes that didn't look as nice as others. That's a difference.

With Batman, and shows like it, the actual errors crop up with the no-names. You won't see Batman suddenly colored like the Joker (well, usually), but you might see the two thugs he's wailing on switch palettes all of the sudden. And, on a casual glance, you'll neither notice nor care.

I'm going to follow up with Cliffy here on this thought. With Transformers, you didn't have generic Transformers really. Your 'generic Decepticon' model was just Starscream recolored - solving nothing. With GI Joe, if you needed 30 Cobra troopers you just drew 30 Cobra Troopers (or a handful layered and looped). If you want 30 GI Joe soldiers raiding the base, you had a generic Joe model just for that purpose.

For Transformers, though, if you want a scene with 30 Decepticons, you would need thirty unique models (particularly after Hasbro nixed the genero-seeker). Notice that even the newer Transformers shows don't often try to pull that off, with only Armada really coming close... and suffering the same errors.

There was a GI Joe episode that I can't remember the name of that exemplified this well. It was a really big battle with lots of jets and soldiers and lots of blue and red lines.. yet it occurred to me that there were only FOUR guys with actual names in the battle (I think it was Destro, Baroness, Flint, Lady Jaye... all beaten by a crab). That was a hell of an effective 'cheat' for the show.

This doesn't explain away all of Transformer's errors, but it does explain why so many 'filler' shots have so many wrong characters and models around - particularly if they're skimping on the error-checking.